tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90664233133260262802014-10-07T07:41:35.462-04:00The AgonRhetorical Contests of Sports, Politics, and CultureKorryn Mozisekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07452582515721194477noreply@blogger.comBlogger421125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-31658007595188635622014-02-03T21:26:00.002-05:002014-02-03T23:49:19.949-05:00Revenge of NFL Cheerleaders?Greetings, Agon fans!<br /><div><br /></div><div>It has been a while since the blog has had a new post. I've failed in my duties as caretaker; my apologies, but the fall semester kept me busy. But here is a new post as a part of my new weekly radio show at La Roche College. I've turned the podcast into a video, so please enjoy and as always offer comments!&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>-Korryn</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i1.ytimg.com/vi/5a4nZTKPtaw/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/5a4nZTKPtaw?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/5a4nZTKPtaw?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div><br /><br /></div>Korryn Mozisekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07452582515721194477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-71021841661714937482013-06-25T12:33:00.002-04:002013-06-25T12:33:11.905-04:00It's the Bottom of the Ninth......and I'm down to my last strike. &nbsp;What better than a baseball metaphor to close out my run with The Agon?<br /><br />Yes, after more than 6 years and 419 posts (not all by me), I am stepping out of the batter's box for good. &nbsp;Fear not, fans of rhetoric, sports, and politics, Dr. Korryn Mozisek is assuming the reins of The Agon and it will, in turn, be in good hands. &nbsp;Korryn has been contributing for the past year already, and I'm especially pleased to have a fellow Indiana University Ph.D. graduate batting next in the order (you didn't think I'd take the metaphor lightly, did you?). &nbsp;Perhaps she'll even let me pinch hit from time to time. &nbsp;So, why the transition?<br /><br />Many of you already will know that, as of July 1, I will be taking on a new role: <a href="http://www.ohio.edu/scrippscollege/news-story.cfm?newsItem=78CEBB0C-5056-A800-48CBFAC8D3364EC6">Director of the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University</a>. &nbsp;This is a lights-out opportunity for me and I'm really looking forward to the move. &nbsp;I will leave behind some very good friends at BGSU, but it is a good time for a change of scenery. &nbsp;The new job has prompted me to consider a couple of things. &nbsp;First, it's had me reflect on the writing I've done here for over 6 years and ask whether it continues to be the outlet I originally intended it to be. &nbsp;I'm proud of the blog in the big picture, and it has helped facilitate some good discussions and motivate some of my scholarship. &nbsp;However, I've also reached a certain degree of saturation. &nbsp;Writing consistently is demanding and, far too often, I feel that I'm repeating particular arguments. &nbsp;In other words, I've got a bit of a dead arm (ok, so I switched from a hitting to a pitching metaphor). &nbsp;Second, it's invited me to think about my new role at Ohio, one that will necessarily be linked to the name of the School of Communication Studies and the College of Communication. &nbsp;To a degree, this is already true of my role at BGSU, but not nearly to the same extent. &nbsp;More specifically, I'd be irresponsible if I didn't think in terms of public relations as an administrator. &nbsp;In short, The Agon is designed to be provocative and I don't think that corresponds as well with my new position.<br /><br />This is not to say, however, that I anticipate an ideological shift in my scholarship. &nbsp;That's a different arena and I remain committed to work that engages critically with rhetorical issues in sport and politics. &nbsp;On occasion, this might merit an online reflection, something you can see from me at <a href="http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/">BagNews Notes</a> or <a href="http://thevisionmachine.com/">The Vision Machine</a>. &nbsp;With that, I bid farewell to The Agon. &nbsp;Thank you to all who have read, commented, and contributed. &nbsp;It's been a great experience. &nbsp;Moving forward, I'm excited to see where things will go. &nbsp;Batter up, Korryn!Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-75708088113235391782013-05-29T19:17:00.000-04:002013-05-29T19:24:32.653-04:00Luck Be at Indy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Tony_Kanaan_2008_Indy_Japan_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Tony_Kanaan_2008_Indy_Japan_300.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Creative Commons,<br />author: Morio</td></tr></tbody></table>Baseball executive Branch Rickey, who is most known for starting Major League Baseball’s minor league system and for signing Jackie Robinson to integrate Major League Baseball, is often quoted as saying, “Luck is the residue of design.” It’s one version of the idea that people make their own luck. In other words, through careful planning and hard work, the otherwise uncontrollable things that become categorized as “luck” become controllable, so that they are the result of individual skill and not outside forces. <br /><br />The sentiment is prevalent in many fields of activity. Successful entrepreneurs, for instance, receive accolades for their foresight and determination, often without as much attention paid to the fortuitous elements outside of their control that contributed to their success, including unearned privileges, coincidences in timing, and the particular constitutions of the fields of individuals and groups against whom they competed. Indeed, at the heart of the critique of Barack Obama’s “You didn’t make that” line last year lie a desire to assign an individual’s successes to that individual’s own making (and, importantly, with that, the corresponding assigning of other’s failings to those individual’s own makings) and the unwillingness to recognize the degrees to which an individual’s success (or failure) is significantly influenced by other individuals, groups, social structures, and … luck. <br /><br />We see this theme time again in sports, as teams and athletes are marked as deserving based on views of the efforts toward which they have applied themselves. Ben Hogan, for instance, was renowned for his tremendous work ethic, which contributed to his status as one of the most successful golfers ever. Tony Gwynn’s batting titles were often attributed to his relentless efforts to perfect his swing (something about which George Will wrote in <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Men-Work-Craft-Baseball-ebook/dp/B003GYEGYS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1369869832&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=george+will+men+at+work">Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball</a></em>). Concomitantly, we also have those stories of individuals whose eventual achievement of some long-sought goal is viewed as extremely deserving, if not overdue. Ray Bourque finally won the Stanley Cup. The Boston Red Sox finally won the World Series. Dan Jansen finally won an Olympic goal medal. <br /><br />Yet we also see the flip side of each of those narratives. On the one side, the success of some individuals and teams is easily dismissed as lucky and, thus, perhaps not as deserving. Among such narratives, the New England Patriots got lucky in 2001 when the refs found some barely applied “tuck rule,” Villanova was lucky in 1985 that Georgetown and St. Johns were placed on the same side of the NCAA men’s tournament bracket, and (at least according to Roger Federer) Novak Djokovic got lucky on a return of what would have been match point for Federer in the 2011 U.S. Open on Djokovic’s way to winning the tournament. Meanwhile, on the flip side, Karl Malone and John Stockton were unlucky enough to peak at the same time as Michael Jordan. Payne Stewart very likely would have won the 1998 U.S. Open (which he did win a year later, playing into a “redemption” kind of narrative) had an otherwise perfectly good drive on the 12th hole not found a divot. And, of course, there are the Chicago Cubs. <br /><br />And then there’s Tony Kanaan, who <a href="http://www.indycar.com/News/2013/05/5-26-Indianapolis-500-race">won the 2013 Indianapolis 500 this past Sunday</a>. Within Indycar racing, Kanaan and the Indy 500 had built over the past decade a narrative of the gifted individual whose goal had eluded him. Kanaan has been one of the most successful Indycar drivers of the past decade, including winning a multitude of races on the circuit, winning the points championship in 2004, and finishing in the top five in the series’ signature event – the Indianapolis 500 – five times in the past 11 years. Until Sunday, in the history of the race, only Michael Andretti (who knows a little about being unlucky at Indy) and Rex Mays – and no active drivers – had led the Indy 500 more than Kanaan without having won the race at least once. For the past few years, Kanaan’s story at Indy has been one of never having won yet deserving to win. <br /><br />Then, when with two laps to go this year, just after Kanaan grabbed the lead of the race on a restart after a caution, Dario Franchitti crashed to cause another caution that would clearly not end before two laps had run, the race announcers, thousands of people at the track, and millions of radio listeners and television viewers (myself included) knew that all Kanaan had to do was follow the pace car for two laps and the elusive goal would be achieved – he would be a winner of Indianapolis 500. Perhaps Kanaan himself even realized the role of luck and the old adage that “it’s not over ‘til it’s over,” when his crew began congratulating him over the radio on the last lap, and he told him he still needed to finish the race. Unlucky breaks – such as weather, accidents that he did not cause, and ill-timed cautions – had cost him the race before; there were still two laps for them to cost him again. <br /><br />Yet he did prevail, and afterward, the role of luck played a very large role in the narrative that he, along with others, offered for this race. Mention was repeatedly made of the <a href="http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130529/INDYCAR/130529766?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=">good luck charm he had given to a brain hemorrhage patient in a coma nine year earlier and that she had returned to Kanaan the very morning of this year’s race</a>. Kanaan himself, in post-race interviews, consistently noted how he had been unlucky before, how he had been lucky this year (particularly because the caution with two laps to go, just after he took the lead, prevented anyone from passing him in a race that featured by far the most lead changes in race history), and how he had come to accept his fate whether or not he ever won the race. In connection with this theme, Kanaan said that this race was more for the fans who wanted him to win than for him. <br /><br />It seems, then, that the Kanaan story offers at least the potential for advancing more fully recognition of the role of luck in sports. Kanaan is absolutely a talented driver, and the likes of talent, hard work, determination, and strategy should not be removed from the equation. Without those elements, Kanaan almost assuredly would not have been in a position ever to win the race or to win other races or the Indycar point championship, for that matter. So, yes, design would seem to have something to do with opportunities for luck to come one’s way. Yet, perhaps no sports story can be written without luck as well. Simply put, as postmodernism would remind us, none of us has such knowledge that we can know, understand, and account for every factor, and such knowledge may not even exist. With the possible exception of poker (which some would not even argue is a sport anyway), perhaps auto racing demonstrates this as much as any sport. An individual simply can’t control a lot of the factors that contribute to winning a race, including weather causing a race to end early, another car crashing into you through no fault of your own, a caution flag occurring at an inopportune time for your race prospects, and a host of other things that might happen. <br /><br />Yet, perhaps too often, in the world of sport – as in other aspects of life – people’s successes (and failures) become too highly attributed to such qualities as skill, determination, and work ethic without accounting enough for luck. Kanaan would seem to be quite deserving of his Indy 500 win for his skill and determination, and he would seem to be lucky in having gotten that win, and it seems that the fact that he’s (at least in his public speech on the matter) so okay with both sides of that makes him all the more worth admiring.Raymond I. Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00939072978670640126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-83288998707906666132013-05-10T18:23:00.002-04:002013-05-10T18:24:46.704-04:00May 10, 2013<br />Tuscaloosa<br /><br />Sport &amp; Politics: A One Way Street?<br /><br />Second post, and a long delay for this newcomer to Agon. I could blame my absence on scintillating research or time-consuming teaching (both of which are true!) but I should also admit that I forgot how to log on to our site...&nbsp; And I just got an iPad this week so clearly "early adopted" will never be a label applied to this sport comm junkie. Old school like the old school.<br /><br />In any case, here we are, happily so, and spring teaching was time consuming but so often sport related that it was usually joyful.&nbsp; COM 395: Critical Approaches to Sport Communication, a survey of critical approaches to topics within sport, trying (and usually succeeding) to get my sport crazed Alabama students to think about sport as performance, as power, as privilege, as paradox.&nbsp; A trip to the Bear Bryan Museum on our conference, where the Exec Director told us they were waiting for someone to tell "the true story" of Bear's role in desegregating college football -- ah, public memory and the rhetoric of forgetting (don't worry, Jason Black and I are on the task) -- and oodles of current event happenings to chew over in class. Brittany, Jason, signing day, SEC network, it was a steady flow of "teachable moments."<br /><br />One of our first discussion points was the question of sport and politics. Using Dave Zirin's helpful film on the topic (<a href="http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&amp;key=151" target="_blank">MEF sells Dave's film here)</a> I asked students to always consider what KIND of politics gets into sport, and which ones don't. Zirin, like our own Mike Butterworth, take a close look at militaristic nationalism within sport and the case of Pat Tillman. My class returned to this key insight during discussions of Christian athletes, Title IX, anti-homophobia programs, and more. Specifically we read Scott Fujita's column in the <em>New York Times</em> that ran just before Supreme Court arguments on gay marriage&nbsp;began (read it <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/sports/football/scott-fujita-acceptance-by-example-in-locker-room-and-at-home.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0" target="_blank">here)</a>. Students -- yes, my Alabama students -- were ok with his stance on the divisive issue, but a strong majority felt it was inapproriate that he speak publicly about the topic, that he identified himself as a New Orleans Saint, and that a picture of him in his jersey accompanied the column.&nbsp; So athletes can have political views but cannot share them in their role as athletes -- at least some views.<br /><br />This issue has raised it head again in the past week, as news that Minnesota Vikings kicker Chris Kluwe had been let go.&nbsp; Kickers have low job security in the NFL, fair enough, but many have wondered how much Kluwe's vocal support for the campaign to prevent Minnesota from amending its state constitution to ban same-sex marriage played into the Vikings' front office rationale.Kluwe averaged a respectable 45 yards per punt last year for the Vikes, a performance he consistently achieved in 8 seasons in purple. Voices as far as Minnesota's governor have asked whether Kluwe's activist work affected his contract negotiations. A mentor and friend to my wife had a unique perspective on Kluwe's political voice: Mark Osler is a straight, white, law professor at a Catholic university in Minnesota. He also lobbied against the amendment but, as Osler writes in this <em>Minneapolis Star Tribune</em> <a href="http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/206678001.html?refer=y" target="_blank">column</a>, his organization encourages political engagements and debate. <br /><br />Osler's religious street-cred is crucial for discussing sport, politics, and anything related to gay rights, same sex marriage, anti-gay bullying, etc. Opposition to gay rights from Christian churches has hamstrung so many of our sport&nbsp;leaders and role models from speaking out in the name of human dignity, equality, and respect. When it is&nbsp;acceptable for fundamentalist Christian athletes to thank their God at a team press confernece, their same God that warrants their political and social opposition (some may say oppression) of LGBTQ persons, and yet not permissable for a politically progressive and socially inclusive athlete to invoke their values we have at best a hypocrisy and at worst an ideological construct governing sport. <br /><br />This all hits home for me this week not just because I identify as lesbian but because the Westboro "Baptists" (I refuse to disrepect Christians like Mark Osler by calling the Westboro group a church) have planned a visit to Tuscaloosa. On their way to our town, on their twisted hate speech road trip, WBC will stop in Oxford to protest the "false idol of football." The editorial board of the Tuscaloosa News has already had a good time poking holes in the WBC logic of picking Ole Miss over Roll Tide Nation as the site of overexaggerated worship of a unarguably secular pursuit, but I worry that our flippant dismissal of the fringe rhetoric from WBC misses several larger points. The most relevant for Agon readers being the ways that certain, conservative forms of religious activity or faith are closely associated with mainstream sport without notice much less objection. Don't misread me and think I'm equating the extremists from Westboro (who are considered a hate group by several entities involved in identifying and tracking such groups) from more mainline evangelical Christians. WBC spews a specific form of eschatological doomsday wrathful-God-style beliefs, but consistently throughout their nearly unintelligible diatribes is hatred for all things gay. See their main <a href="http://godhatesfags.com/" target="_blank">website</a> for undeniable confirmation of this focus. So when we joke that WBC has chosen the "wrong" SEC powerhouse to make their stand against the false idol of sport, we risk missing that we should be dismissing this group based on the extreme violent homophobia at the core of their entire operation. And our reluctance to do that, to a group as marginalized and detested as Westboro, makes it that much harder for the Chris Kluwe's of the sport world, much less the Jaons Collins' and Brittany Griner's. <br /><br />One my academic heroes,&nbsp;Dan Brouwer, noted in 2007, with his co-author&nbsp;Aaron Hess (<em>Western Journal of</em> <em>Communication</em>, 71;1, 69-90), that angry responses to Westboro's homophobic picketing at military funerals emphasized a theme of nation and citizenship, therby&nbsp;"almost completely eradicating the theme of (homo)sexuality in their deliberations...enact[ing] a disjuncture between sexuality and public policy," (86). Substitute 'sport' wherever Brouwer and Hess write 'nation' and the article could fit many conversations I've heard and read this week in Tuscaloosa.<br /><br />Until we expose and address the ways homophobia affects all people, and until we see the absence of this exposure as a form of "politics" in sport, I fear there will be more Fred Phelps and less Chris Kluwe in our world. MMBagley_GoSoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900320006295421229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-71337832210285605532013-04-29T13:18:00.000-04:002013-04-29T15:37:06.763-04:00Down and Out with ESPNIt has been a long, challenging road to arrive at the moment in our culture when an active, professional male athlete in a major team sport can openly declare that he is gay. &nbsp;<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/">NBA veteran Jason Collins has done precisely this</a>, and it is news that holds much promise to continue the progress made in recent years so that athletes, and anyone else for that matter, need not worry that their identities are grounds for exclusion. &nbsp;It remains to be seen, of course, how the NBA community will respond to Collins and, given his current status as a free agent, whether or not he remains an "active" player in 2013-14 may tell us something about the league's willingness to accept him. &nbsp;Nevertheless, this is really big news. &nbsp;You might think, then, that the dominant sports media organization in the United States would recognize the significance of Collins' announcement, right? &nbsp;Well, no such luck, as evidenced by the ESPN.com home page today:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_zeMJk1clok/UX6qgY3Vd7I/AAAAAAAAAjY/zuRtpImYLmQ/s1600/Tebow+over+Collins.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_zeMJk1clok/UX6qgY3Vd7I/AAAAAAAAAjY/zuRtpImYLmQ/s320/Tebow+over+Collins.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />You see, <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_release_tim_tebow_twHFvSOgnkbGMj45xHPzeK">Tim Tebow has been released by the New York Jets</a> after one entirely forgettable season. &nbsp;Yes, yes, this is ESPN we're talking about--the network would provide live coverage of a Tebow haircut if it could--but really, this kind of narrow presentation of news is precisely why sports media continues to deliver an inferior product. &nbsp;Let's face it, there is next to nothing newsworthy in an NFL team's decision to release a lousy quarterback. &nbsp;On the bright side, at least the network stopped its eulogizing of the Los Angeles Lakers.<br /><br />UPDATE AT 3:35 EDT: &nbsp;Fair is fair, and although it took them a while, ESPN has, in fact, re-shuffled its online priorities:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Dkfxq0_l7M/UX7LznS3DwI/AAAAAAAAAjo/OhbID9EiCdU/s1600/Collins+over+Tebow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Dkfxq0_l7M/UX7LznS3DwI/AAAAAAAAAjo/OhbID9EiCdU/s320/Collins+over+Tebow.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-43706549627556743912013-04-06T13:32:00.000-04:002013-04-06T13:32:55.847-04:00(Non)Image Repair at Rutgers: Shifting Blame from Rice to Pernetti to Bureaucracy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This is another cross posting from a blog I am writing with students in my Communication, Sports, and Culture course.&nbsp; This week we discussed crisis communication in sports organizations. <span class="userContent">The blog assignment is asking students to discuss how athletes, teams, leagues, etc. aim to repair their images through apologies and self-defense strategies.This is my post in relation to the recent Rutgers controversy. </span></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images1-focus-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/c-zjsKsR8wo/hqdefault.jpg&amp;container=focus&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*&amp;refresh=31536000&amp;resize_w=497" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://images1-focus-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/c-zjsKsR8wo/hqdefault.jpg&amp;container=focus&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*&amp;refresh=31536000&amp;resize_w=497" width="320" /></a></div>News seemingly broke on Tuesday's "Outside the Lines" that Rutgers University men's basketball coach Mike Rice verbally and physically abused players during his 3 seasons as coach. Even though the report wasn't new, Rice's indiscretions were <a href="http://www.nj.com/rutgersbasketball/index.ssf/2012/12/mike_rice_suspended_by_rutgers.html" target="_blank">covered by <i>The Star-Ledger</i></a> back in Dec. 2012, what changed? Well, the difference is the national audience of ESPN programming and video evidence of Rice's inappropriate behavior. In the wake of this report, three individuals are out at Rutgers (head coach, assistant coach, and the athletic director), but the <i>image repair</i> attempted by these firings and resignations has not stemmed the time of controversy at the University. Instead, the <i>bolstering</i> that are a part of these decisions function to continue questions about the climate of governance at RU.<br /><br />In December 2012, <a href="http://www.nj.com/rutgersbasketball/index.ssf/2012/12/rutgers_head_coach_mike_rice_s.html#incart_river" target="_blank">Pernetti highlighted</a> that <i>corrective action</i> was being taken in an attempt to separate Rice's actions from the wider athletic culture at Rutgers which encourages coaches to "act and lead in a responsible manner." In suspending Rice, Pernetti is attempting to <i>bolster</i> the image of Rutgers athletics and connect the suspension to a positive aspect of the culture at RU -- a place where individuals are given a second chance and where abusive behavior is not accepted. Pernetti also attempted to transcend the situation in stating, "This was not an easy decision for me to make but absolutely necessary to ensure what is best for our program." In making a decision with the interests of the entire program in mind, Pernetti aimed to <i>transcend</i> the situation by getting individuals to view his decision to suspend as a positive. Without much media attention, Pernetti's announcement framed the University positively and the controversy seemingly went away.<br /><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Pernetti's decision in December, though, came under fire when "Outside the Lines" aired a report on Rice's behavior. With the airing, Pernetti's previous work to repair the image of the basketball program and athletics department is undermined and questioned by the national media. Thus Rutgers University, particularly Tim Pernetti and President Robert Barchi, had a growing crisis on their hands. The discipline of Rice was questioned, which ultimately led to his dismissal on Wednesday. With that decision, <a href="http://gamedayr.com/gamedayr/tim-pernetti-statement-firing-mike-rice/" target="_blank">Pernetti released a statement</a> where he expresses <i>mortification</i> regarding his decision:&nbsp;“<b>I am responsible for the decision</b>to attempt a rehabilitation of Coach Rice. Dismissal and corrective action were debated in December and I thought it was in the best interest of everyone to rehabilitate, but <b>I was wrong. </b>Moving forward, I will work to regain the trust of the Rutgers community.” In admitting fault, Pernetti attempts to begin the <i>image repair</i> process by recognizing a failure in leadership on his part. In taking responsibility, Pernetti ultimately opened himself up further to criticism, including questions of why Rice was not dismissed in December and why his discipline appeared as a slap on the wrist. The above quoted material was Pernetti's full statement; it was not much of an apology, thus leaving unanswered questions and fueling discussions about the December decision. While we all might want to have those responsible apologize, Pernetti's statement reveals that<i> mortification</i> alone is not enough to repair the image of a basketball program or an individual's leadership. Because the controversy continued, Pernetti became the next person to face criticism.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div>The failure of Pernetti's apology and damage control following Rice's dismissal likely played apart in <a href="http://espn.go.com/new-york/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9137089/tim-pernetti-rutgers-scarlet-knights-athletic-director" target="_blank">his own resignation</a> from Rutgers on Friday. While a resignation is meant to begin the repair process for the organization because those who were of ill repute are purged from the organization, Pernetti's focus is not on initiating healing for the University but in repairing his own image. In this respect, Pernetti's resignation follows the verbal self-defense resolution strategies often used by athletes that are outlined by Billings, Butterworth, and Turman in their book, <a href="http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book233736" target="_blank">Communication and Sport</a>. Pernetti professes his love of the University in his <a href="http://www.sportsgrid.com/ncaa-basketball/heres-tim-pernettis-resignation-letter-in-which-he-blames-rutgers-and-not-himself-for-not-firing-mike-rice/" target="_blank">resignation letter</a> thus <i>bolstering</i> his image: "I write in confirmation of our conversation earlier today during which we agreed that it was in the best interests of Rutgers University that I step down from my position as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. <b>I do so reluctantly because I always have and always will love Rutgers</b>. . . . My continued tenure as Athletic Director is no longer sustainable for <b>the University which I attended and where a piece of me will always remain</b>." This makes it clear to the audience that his decisions were not selfish or self-motivated, but rather had the University in mind. After this point, Pernetti's resignation letter aims to scapegoat the University bureaucracy, thus thwarting any continued healing or repair process for RU from his departure:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">As you know, my <b>first instincts</b> when I saw the videotape of Coach Rice’s behavior was to <b>fire him immediately</b>. However, Rutgers decided to follow a process involving university lawyers, human resources professionals, and outside counsel.<b></b>Following review of the independent investigative report,<b> the consensus was that <i>university policy</i> would not justify dismissal</b>. I have admitted my role in, and regret for, that decision, and wish that I had the opportunity to go back and override it for the sake of everyone involved.</blockquote>In blaming other aspects of the University bureaucracy, Pernetti attempts to <i>transcend</i> the controversy. He tried to do the right thing, but the larger culture of bureaucracy prevented him from doing so. Of course, this makes his previous apology where he took accountability for the rehabilitation decision to seem like a farce, thus calling his credibility in to question. This shift to <i>transcendence</i>, though, aims to repair Pernetti's image, not the University's. With Pernetti's salvo, the controversy continues and the image of the University is further questioned because the actions of Rice were protected by more than one mere athletic director.<br /><br />After transcending the situation, Pernetti <i>bolsters</i> about his time at RU:&nbsp; <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I trust that my tenure at Rutgers will not be judged by this one incident. I am proud of my efforts to <b>lead Rutgers into the Big Ten</b>, and of all of the accomplishments of our student-athletes in the classroom and on the field of play. I want to thank our great fans, the hardest working staff in collegiate athletics, and every one of our fine student-athletes. It has been my great pleasure to serve my alma mater.</blockquote>Even though the letter is addressed to the RU President, this makes it clear that it is intended for a wider audience. In reminding everyone of his accomplishments, Pernetti stakes a claim (or at least attempts to stake claim) to the future accomplishments of Rutgers. Prior to his resignation, many speculated that Pernetti would be spared because of his negotiations to gain admittance of RU into the Big Ten, so it is no surprise that Pernetti relied on this fact when <i>bolstering</i> about his tenure as AD.<br /><br />The crisis continues to roil at RU as many <a href="http://espn.go.com/new-york/story/_/id/9136488/mike-rice-scandal-rutgers-professors-right-ask-ouster-president&amp;asdfg" target="_blank">faculty members are calling</a> for the dismissal of the University President (Barchi). With such increased attention to the pitfalls and culture of big time athletics, the RU situation indicates a growing distrust of the business. Apologies and dismissals that previously may have repaired the image of a university and got their dirty laundry off the front pages of newspapers are now faced with scrutiny about the strings attached to money of athletics. Interestingly, Pernetti's resignation merely continues the controversy by scapegoating the University rather than being the sacrifical lamb. This points to the risks that associated with individual's attempt to transcend a situation for themselves and the difficulty of an organization to repair its image with a few firings. Korryn Mozisekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07452582515721194477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-7015157391832327432013-04-01T09:40:00.000-04:002013-04-01T09:40:29.207-04:00Public Lecture on Nate SilverLate last month, I had the pleasure of returning to my alma mater, Northern Illinois University, to deliver a lecture for the <a href="http://www.niu.edu/comm/">Department of Communication</a>. &nbsp;It was a real treat to be back on campus and to visit with some wonderful old friends. &nbsp;Even better, it jump-started a new project that I had in mind about Nate Silver and the politics of punditry and electoral forecasting. &nbsp;With that in mind, I'm excited to have two more chances to share this research. &nbsp;First up, on Wednesday, April 17, I will visit the <a href="http://comm.wayne.edu/">Department of Communication at Wayne State University</a> in Detroit, where I will deliver a talk called, "Nate Silver and Campaign 2012: Sport, the Statistical Frame, and the Rhetoric of Electoral Forecasting." &nbsp;Later in the month, I'll visit the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. &nbsp;Such invitations are one of the most rewarding parts of my profession and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to visit with wonderful colleagues at other institutions.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UPiwiTJmdzo/UVmNmmV8oII/AAAAAAAAAjI/UXmEk91zMX4/s1600/WSU+Brock+Lecture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UPiwiTJmdzo/UVmNmmV8oII/AAAAAAAAAjI/UXmEk91zMX4/s320/WSU+Brock+Lecture.png" width="292" /></a></div><br />Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-60459497190863555742013-03-14T23:17:00.001-04:002013-03-14T23:17:25.884-04:00Performing Toughness and Sexiness: The Paradox of Ronda Rousey<div style="text-align: center;"><i>This post originally appeared on the <a href="http://cmet2012courseblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">course blog</a> for my Communication, Sports, and Culture class. The focus is on applying concepts from Ch. 8 of <a href="http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book233736" target="_blank">Communication and Sports: Surveying the Field</a>. </i></div><br /><a href="http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/2013/02/24/rondarousey_2794-218x150.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/2013/02/24/rondarousey_2794-218x150.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/38f1e1a086f211e2b3af22000a1fb856_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/38f1e1a086f211e2b3af22000a1fb856_7.jpg" width="200" />&nbsp;</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronda_Rousey" target="_blank">Ronda Rousey</a> is the first female fighter to join the Ultimate Fighting Championship and currently is its Bantamweight Champion.&nbsp; All of her victories have come via armbar submission. Through her aggressive style and toughness, she has dominated her female opponents in the ring. But as a female athlete, she must do more than prove her superiority in the ring. Rousey also has to prove that she is a woman. In this regard, Rousey's body becomes a site of <i>resistance </i>as she demonstrates her strength and ferociousness in the ring and a site of <i>inscription</i> as she proves her heterosexuality and femininity; this is a multifaceted performance required from female athletes because if they behave too much like male athletes then questions swirl about their sexuality.&nbsp;</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/8629195/20120823_kkt_aj4_535.0_standard_500.0.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/8629195/20120823_kkt_aj4_535.0_standard_500.0.jpg" width="200" /></a>In the ring, Rousey is unbelievable. She has an intensity that rivals any male athlete. She will stare down her opponent with arched eyebrows and a focus to win. One look at her body and her sculpted muscles stand out. She uses this strength to overwhelm opponents and gain submission. In this respect, her performances in the ring <i>communicate</i> aggressiveness, dominance, and strength. These performances have historically been restricted to male athletes because a woman is just not supposed to act that way. With each punch, each submission, and each victory, Rousey communicates her competitiveness within a taboo sport for women. The question asked, what woman wants to be fight? Rousey's performances potentially inspire young girls to take to the ring and not be afraid of a punch. Rousey also encourages individuals to cheer for a girl fight (or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catfight" target="_blank">cat fight</a>) because of its ferocity, not its novelty or sexiness. In the ring, Rousey communicates that women can fight like a man.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These types of performances by Rousey resist expectations of women being weaker, inferior, and feminine. As Billings, Butterworth, and Tuman note, performances by female athletes which resist cultural expectations have often come at the price of questions regarding whether they are really a woman or heterosexual (<a href="http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book233736" target="_blank">p. 148</a>). Rousey reminds individuals of her heterosexuality while also continuing her performance of masculinity. On <a href="http://youtu.be/_06EIxw63vQ" target="_blank">HBO's Real Sports</a>, Rousey reveals to viewers that she enjoys having sex before a fight because it increases her testosterone. While discussing this choice, she acknowledges her heterosexuality. As many will recognize, this isn't appropriate behavior for a "good woman." She may have these feelings, but she shouldn't express them! In easily discussing this ritual, Rousey seems more like a man than a woman--she is performing the "boys will be boys" attitude yet she is a she. This admission by Rousey further confirms her performance of masculinity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://media.ufc.tv/Strikeforce/ronda-critics.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://media.ufc.tv/Strikeforce/ronda-critics.jpg" width="200" /></a>Such masculine performances by Rousey, though, are tempered by the <i>inscription</i> of femininity upon her body. Make no mistake, Rousey consents to this <i>inscription</i> by posing in provocative ways often associated with models. One look at her <a href="https://twitter.com/RondaRousey" target="_blank">Twitter feed</a> and the background image stands out. Sh has wet hair, a pouty look on her face, and an exposed body that reminds a viewer of her sexiness. If you didn't know her profession, you might think she is a model (either for the SI Swimsuit Issue or for other adult materials). Her hoodie is falling of her shoulders, her fists are down, and she is pushing out her chest. She no longer appears or behaves like a fighter. Instead, she transforms into a sexy (and desirable) woman. Rousey also performs femininity out of the ring by wearing her hair down, jewelry, and heels. She smiles and the stare disappears. Her Twitter followers comment on her attractiveness and she snaps pictures like those at the top of this point where she is in provocative clothing, although her sass remains -- just look at the cock of her hip. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The performances of Ronda Rousey reveal a paradox for female athletes. They are expected to hit, kick, train, and win like the guys or face deriding comments about their skill levels, lack of commitment, or carnival appeal. But they are also expected to prove their heterosexuality by acting like a lady. Mixed martial arts fighting seems to be no place for a lady with the grappling, punching, and bloodthirst elements of the sport. Rousey, though, creates a space for female fighters to show that they too can fight and it not be a sex show. Instead, women can execute the same moves as their male counterparts and not leave crying for their mama (except when a submission occurs but they guys do it too). In this way, Rousey's dominance, strength, and skills allow her to challenge expectations and beliefs about female fighters. Her performance does not completely challenge the gender and sexuality aspects of how female athletes are to behave. In showing off her sexiness, she continue discussions of attractiveness and sexuality in relation to female athletes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While her performances are not completely revolutionary, would you want to step in the ring with her? Based on the reaction of her opponents, it appears that the armbar move hurts so I think I'll pass and I suggest that you do too. Just respect the moves in the octagon!</div><br />Korryn Mozisekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07452582515721194477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-9810022806980128642013-03-12T11:37:00.003-04:002013-03-12T11:38:39.275-04:002013 IACS Summit VideosMany thanks to Chris Hart and everyone else at the Texas Program for Sports and Media for sharing some video from the recent Summit on Communication and Sport. &nbsp;First up is recap of the <a href="http://communicationandsport.com/">International Association for Communication and Sport</a> and a panel called, "Communication and Sport as Toy Store: Disciplinary Challenges and Opportunities":<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bu43QhQm6QI/UT9IrxrYMOI/AAAAAAAAAio/iRusWavXUSA/s320/TPSM+Toy+Store+Recap.png" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/60772190">Click here to watch</a></div><br />Next is the full panel, "Communication and Sport as Toy Store: Disciplinary Challenges and Opportunities":<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_IrDqKQ2CU/UT9KqhqcCII/AAAAAAAAAiw/iJ3zaNneO5k/s1600/TPSM+Toy+Store+Full.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_IrDqKQ2CU/UT9KqhqcCII/AAAAAAAAAiw/iJ3zaNneO5k/s320/TPSM+Toy+Store+Full.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/61012434">Click here to watch</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last is the full lecture delivered by University of Texas professor, Ben Carrington, "The Global White Sports/Media Complex and the Politics of Sport":</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQWr8yeQA4I/UT9LcxA0kXI/AAAAAAAAAi4/9f8Z8bm01FA/s1600/TPSM+Carrington.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQWr8yeQA4I/UT9LcxA0kXI/AAAAAAAAAi4/9f8Z8bm01FA/s320/TPSM+Carrington.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/61354011">Click here to watch</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy!</div><br />Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-36775787187250871522013-03-10T23:58:00.003-04:002013-03-10T23:59:26.232-04:00An American Pastime?Hat tip to Dave Naze for pointing me in the direction of <a href="http://deadspin.com/5989829/is-it-me-or-has-espn-been-taken-over-by-wetbacks-viewers-react-to-tonights-wbc-espn-deportes-simulcast">this Deadspin story about Twitter comments</a> in response to ESPN's Spanish-language broadcast of the World Baseball Classic game between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. &nbsp;The article explains quite clearly why ESPN broadcast the game in Spanish: MLB Network has exclusive rights to the English broadcast, so ESPN filled a slow night by sharing its feed from ESPN Deportes. &nbsp;That decision provoked some harsh reactions.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eWa5AfCatw0/UT1O_lC4NHI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/5vB01hIulY8/s1600/WBC+Tweets.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eWa5AfCatw0/UT1O_lC4NHI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/5vB01hIulY8/s320/WBC+Tweets.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />I've copied just a handful of the comments collected by Deadspin but, regrettably, the others are equally hostile. &nbsp;The explicit racism and implicit fear reflected in these comments are clearly sobering and disappointing. &nbsp; As a scholar of rhetoric and sports, my work is most centrally focused on sport's role in shaping our democratic culture. &nbsp;Despite its flaws, sport has given us some inspirational moments over the years that give us hope that we can be the inclusive and peaceful people our mythology claims us to be. &nbsp;In obvious ways, comments such as the ones above do damage to that mythology.<br /><br />There is a limitation to Deadspin's approach, however. &nbsp;This is not the first time they've collected such comments--one other notable example <a href="http://deadspin.com/5968935/take-that-nigger-off-the-tv-we-wanna-watch-football-idiots-respond-to-nbc-pre+empting-sunday-night-football">occurred last December when President Obama</a> preempted NBC's <i>Sunday Night Football </i>coverage to deliver a speech in response to the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QaR1B-mSLjw/UT1Q7PouA2I/AAAAAAAAAiY/YTzentl1Vlg/s1600/Obama+Sandy+Hook+Tweets.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QaR1B-mSLjw/UT1Q7PouA2I/AAAAAAAAAiY/YTzentl1Vlg/s320/Obama+Sandy+Hook+Tweets.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Much like the comments about the World Baseball Classic, these tweets reveal deep-seated anxieties and prejudices that remain in circulation in the United States. &nbsp;Yet, like other online forums that feature user comments, we should take care not to view these responses as necessarily representative. &nbsp;Social media clearly provokes a degree of candor from some users that enables their less enlightened qualities to spill onto the screen. &nbsp;But even with this small sample size, we can comfortably conclude that this latest sampling from Deadspin demonstrates the presence, and audacity, of racism in our culture.<br /><br />Before resigning myself to broad conclusions about inclusion/exclusion in America, however, we should also recognize that there are many--Deadspin itself, for instance--who reject the idea that social media should provide cover for racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, or any other form of intolerance. &nbsp;If a story such as this one risks inflating the extent of the problem, it nevertheless provides us with an opportunity to talk about how we talk about one another. &nbsp;More than a quarter of the rosters in Major League Baseball are comprised of players born in Spanish-speaking nations, after all. &nbsp;And, although these players earn generous salaries, there is a long history of neglect and abuse that Latin Americans have suffered in and through baseball. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/baseball-dominican-system-yewri-guillen">The <i>Mother Jones</i> story on the death of prospect Yewri Guillen</a> is only the latest manifestation of this issue (check out <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Americas-Game-Baseball-Crossroads/dp/0520251431/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1362973905&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=Playing+America%27s+Game%3A+Baseball%2C+Latinos%2C+and+the+Color+Line">Playing America's Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color Line</a></i>, by Adrian Burgos, Jr., for a deeper history). &nbsp;Thus, even if the rhetorical effect produced by Deadspin's story might be exaggerated, we're still the better for it.Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-19121600202930036522013-03-05T13:19:00.001-05:002013-03-05T13:19:08.562-05:00You Never Know: Critical Sport Comm in Alabama...<br /><br />Living in Alabama, even in a university town, one learns quickly which radio stations to avoid -- or, more specifically, which DJ's to tune out if one doesn't want to hear uninformed vitriolic spew. As a moderate fan of country music, I have a quick trigger finger when driving and listening to our local stations, and usually the sound of DJ patter sends me to the seek button faster than you can say "roll tide."<br /><br />So you can imagine my surprise when, driving home last night, a conversation between two male country DJ's (one who was atop our Voices to Avoid list during the fall election...) had some surprisingly intelligent, let alone critical sport comm-ish, things to say about the University of Alabama wheelchair basketball teams.&nbsp;<br /><br />Our adaptive sport program, if you don't know, are rock stars. The women's wheelchair basketball team won the national title three times in a row (take that Nick!) and boast multiple Olympians, from the US team, Canada, Italy and Lithuania. The men's team is just as good, with a little less hardware, but recruits and sends athletes to the top tournaments in the world. We take ALL sport seriously here in Bama...<br /><br />So this DJ got to announce the annual wheelchair games that occur in Foster Auditorium gym, the venue for women's basketball and volleyball, and was recounting his experience. After the usual platitudes about the great game and team, he starts to complain that the teams only get to play Foster once a year for this showcase weekend -- the other games are held in a less fancy gym in our student recreation center.&nbsp; At first his point was simple: great teams deserve top-flight venues and our wheelchair teams are badas*.&nbsp;<br /><br />But then he continued and this is where my critical sport comm ears perked up: the DJ stated that "You know, Foster Auditorium is known as a building that excluded people, with the whole George Wallace event and all, so it seems like of all spaces that should now be inclusive, this is it!"&nbsp;<br /><br />Let me remind you this is Alabama, in 2013, with our re-elected Black president, issues of injustice all around us, but in this simple comment a most unlikely source, via a significant sport experience, voiced critical memory and contemporary activism. I was floored.<br /><br />You never know... sport can do amazing things (both good and bad) and that's why I watch. And listen. And write. Thanks for inviting me to the Agon friends, see you soon.MMBagley_GoSoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900320006295421229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-47501094849850468622013-03-05T00:20:00.001-05:002013-03-05T00:20:33.404-05:00Gunning Their Engines/Running on EmptyThe National Rifle Association (NRA) announced earlier today that it has reached a deal to sponsor a NASCAR race at the Texas Motor Speedway. &nbsp;The NRA 500 will take place on April 13, and it follows the NRA's support for a Nationwide Series race in Atlanta last year. &nbsp;It also follows NASCAR's endorsement of Swan Racing's decision to paint Michael Waltrip's #26 car with a "Sandy Hook School Support Fund" theme during last month's Daytona 500, pictured below.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8l9xhxFLGo/UTVt9V6vOpI/AAAAAAAAAiA/Kt8nOOhRI8M/s1600/Waltrip+Sandy+Hook+Car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8l9xhxFLGo/UTVt9V6vOpI/AAAAAAAAAiA/Kt8nOOhRI8M/s320/Waltrip+Sandy+Hook+Car.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/02/21/nascar-goes-extra-mile-daytona-for-newtown-conn/GycAwgCJaXazaYUpNw7i8J/story.html">Chris Graythen/Getty Images</a>)</div><br />Playing the cause-related marketing game (see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Ribbons-Inc-Politics-Philanthropy/dp/0816648999/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1362455975&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=samantha+king+pink+ribbons">Sammi King's </a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Ribbons-Inc-Politics-Philanthropy/dp/0816648999/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1362455975&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=samantha+king+pink+ribbons">Pink Ribbons, Inc</a>.</i>) one month and the corporate branding game (if they are, in fact, different) the next, NASCAR finds itself in something of a contradictory position here. &nbsp;Indeed, it's difficult to avoid the inference that the sympathy demonstrated on behalf of the Newton shooting victims was little more than a cynical grab for image bolstering when it is so quickly followed up with this new partnership. &nbsp;Although <a href="http://espn.go.com/dallas/story/_/id/9014873/nra-sponsor-texas-sprint-cup-race">NASCAR chairman Brian France personally donated $50,000 to the Sandy Hook fund</a>, that goodwill is small change compared to the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/04/us/sports-nra-nascar/index.html">estimated $1 million it takes to capture naming rights for a NASCAR race</a>&nbsp;(I'm not suggesting there should be a one-to-one relationship here, just that France knows full well that his donation is dwarfed by sponsorship revenues). In other words, let's not mistake NASCAR's generosity for a "progressive" worldview on gun violence and gun culture.<br /><br />Indeed, it's kind of surprising that NASCAR and the NRA haven't partnered sooner. &nbsp;After all, <a href="http://espn.go.com/dallas/story/_/id/9014873/nra-sponsor-texas-sprint-cup-race">as NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre states</a>:<br /><br /><i>"The NRA 500 is the latest announcement in the long history of a growing partnership between the NRA, Speedway, Motorsports and the NASCAR community. &nbsp;NRA members and NASCAR fans love their country and everything that is good and right about America. &nbsp;We salute our flag . . . volunteer in our churches and communities . . . cherish our families . . . and we love racing!"</i><br /><br />Already, message boards on <a href="http://espn.go.com/dallas/story/_/id/9014873/nra-sponsor-texas-sprint-cup-race">ESPN.com</a>, <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nbc-yahoo-sports/hype-nra-500-bad-move-214336246.html">Yahoo!Sports</a> and <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1553043-national-rifle-association-signs-deal-to-sponsor-a-nascar-sprint-cup-race?hpt=hp_t2">BleacherReport</a> are replete with comments preemptively assuming that "liberals" and the "PC police" will hate the NRA's sponsorship of NASCAR. &nbsp;Speaking as one of those "liberals," I confess that I don't much like it. &nbsp;Of course, I have no intention of watching NASCAR, regardless of sponsorship deals. &nbsp;Yes, there's a surface-level synergy to be found between race fans and gun enthusiasts. &nbsp;But LaPierre's comments aren't about identifications among pastimes; rather, they participate in the larger discourse about what it means to be "American" in the early 21st century.<br /><br />On the one hand, this is simply the latest installment of the "red state" ideology that claims that the only "authentic" Americans are those who inhabit the imagined spaces of the Southern/Western frontier (physical geography is less important here than psychological space). &nbsp;<a href="http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=AJKrMcOyQ3wC&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA1&amp;dq=thomas+frank+kansas&amp;ots=AFzWDBYmyn&amp;sig=E0wRFoV88m7U39gfDPJtZOzcmmE">Thomas Frank writes in <i>What's the Matter with Kansas?</i></a> that red state residents form "a region of humility, guilelessness, and, above all, stout yeoman <i>righteousness</i>." &nbsp;This mythology lays the foundation for LaPierre's comments, which largely echo the conservative rhetorical formula of the past decade or more.<br /><br />On the other hand, LaPierre's bifurcation of those "who love their country" and everyone else threatens one of the central principles of sport: that it holds some promise of achieving identifications among those who might not otherwise share much in common. &nbsp;Although NASCAR has consistently been upheld as a preserve of white, masculine, Southern identity (see Newman and Giardina: <i>Sport, Spectacle, and NASCAR Nation</i>), it nevertheless has sought audiences from well outside those demographics. &nbsp;After all, NASCAR's explosion in popularity at the turn of the 21st century didn't happen by remaining parochial.<br /><br />In more recent years, however, NASCAR has lost some of that early 2000s luster. &nbsp;Various reasons might account for this,<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/21/sports/la-sp-nascar-20110322"> including the general economic downturn as well as problems</a> with the sport's rules and technological changes. &nbsp;It is fair to speculate, too, that the sport's retreat into its "heritage" (read: white, masculine, Southern identity) has been met with friction against the nation's transition from a George W. Bush presidency to that of Barack Obama. &nbsp;Even as Obama's election signaled a certain kind of progress, it takes little investigation to recognize that it prompted intensified expressions of racism, from the <a href="http://www.salon.com/2010/03/20/tea_party_racism/">rapid emergence of the Tea Party movement</a>&nbsp;(which, to be fair, cannot be described as uniformly racist but it is propped up by significant strands of racism)&nbsp;<a href="http://now.msn.com/racial-voting-trends-and-racism-in-america-could-affect-obama-election-poll-finds">to electoral results</a>.<br /><br />The turn to racial dynamics isn't a red herring. &nbsp;Rather, I think we're likely to see cultural institutions whose members are more inclined to feel threatened by the current administration's identity find more opportunities to retreat into values they, presumably, hold a unique claim over. &nbsp;The idea that NRA members/NASCAR fans are especially entitled to "salute our flag" and "cherish our families" isn't simply a gross attack on those who question our culture of guns or the virtues of motor sports. &nbsp;More than this, it's a call to arms, a means by which stronger identifications may be built among a few, but only at the expense of the many.<br /><br />In the end, though, I think it's a losing proposition. &nbsp;Last year, Americans re-elected their first African American president. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Republican Party policies grounded in the mythology expressed by LaPierre <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-25/news/sns-rt-usa-republicansl1n0au0os-20130125_1_republican-candidates-republicans-aim-senate">appear to be losing favor</a>. &nbsp;And, with respect to gun policy, <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/vp/50965978#50965978">Rachel Maddow reported last month</a> that an NBC/WSJ poll shows that 61% of Americans believe laws covering the sale of firearms should be made more strict. &nbsp;This is up from only 44% in October of 2010. &nbsp;All of which is to say that the NRA's sponsorship of NASCAR is likely to reinforce the values of an increasingly defiant, yet perhaps decreasingly relevant, population. &nbsp;Meanwhile, the rest of us--the ones who might ignore stock car racing or even those who favor stricter gun control measures--will hold our children dear, for we, too, cherish them. &nbsp;We will support our neighbors and worship in our churches (and synagogues, mosques, and temples). &nbsp;And we will continue to do our damnedest to love our country while refusing to accept the idea that Wayne LaPierre is the one who gets to decide what is "good and right about America."Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-6945385203137770722013-03-01T00:19:00.002-05:002013-03-01T00:20:31.355-05:00Grounding the FlyoverBack in 2008, <a href="http://theagon.blogspot.com/2008/11/whoosh-and-awe.html">I wrote about my experience at NFL game in San Diego</a> and the familiar pre-game ritual it featured: the military flyover. &nbsp;This event is now so commonplace before American sporting events--the <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/04/08/air_force_cutback_still_allows_roaring_fly_by_at_game_today/"><i>Boston Globe</i> reported in 2007</a> that the Air Force received 3,623 flyover requests that year--that many fans both accept and expect its occurrence. &nbsp;Evidently, as part of mandatory cuts to the federal budget--<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/09/14/the-sequester-explained/">the "sequester"</a>--as of next month, there will be no more flyovers.<br /><br /><i>There will be no more flyovers.</i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FJ2LpeeNCY4/UTA3ffTncrI/AAAAAAAAAgo/VzQSjFvD_D8/s1600/Flyover+Ends.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FJ2LpeeNCY4/UTA3ffTncrI/AAAAAAAAAgo/VzQSjFvD_D8/s320/Flyover+Ends.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />I've been arguing for years that this should happen. &nbsp;Of course, notice in the screen capture above how Yahoo! frames the news: the flyovers are "majestic." &nbsp;Yes, I suppose they are, but they're also bombastic and expensive displays of militarism. &nbsp;I'm clearly in the minority on this opinion, as many Americans find the flyovers to be exhilarating expressions of patriotism. &nbsp;But fighter jets are designed for a purpose, a purpose that U.S. policy has executed with deadly regularity in the past decade. &nbsp;The time was long overdue to end this sporting ritual.<br /><br />It isn't as if eliminating the flyover will suddenly prompt Americans to reflect on our use of military force or popularized performances of militarism. &nbsp;The Yahoo! screen capture is <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nbc-yahoo-sports/hype-goodbye-flyovers-224611444.html">linked to an NBC/Yahoo! video clip </a>that features Michelle Beadle and Dave Briggs arguing opposing viewpoints about the news. &nbsp;Yet, even as Beadle accepts the decision, she frames it simply in terms of the presumed savings it will provide as part of the sequester. &nbsp;Neither of them question the logic of the flyover itself, and Briggs echoes the familiar ideas about pride and patriotism. &nbsp;Nevertheless, this is a step in the right direction. &nbsp;Now if we could just do something about "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch...Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-61461187233661416002013-02-26T22:19:00.002-05:002013-02-26T22:21:02.038-05:006th Summit on Communication and SportThis past weekend, the <a href="http://communication.utexas.edu/tpsm">Texas Program in Sports and Media</a> at the University of Texas hosted the 6th Summit on Communication and Sport.&nbsp; Now an annual event, the Summit is the conference affiliated with the <a href="http://www.communicationandsport.com/">International Association for Communication and Sport</a>.&nbsp; The weekend was a big hit, and IACS members are already looking forward to next year's Summit in New York City (hosted by Marist College).&nbsp; To learn more about the Summit or to join the IACS, you can visit our site: http://www.communicationandsport.com/.&nbsp; In the meantime, here are some images from the weekend!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-30hA5d_8rk8/US13wrfURmI/AAAAAAAAAfI/O3EIwrMHV7o/s1600/Belo+Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-30hA5d_8rk8/US13wrfURmI/AAAAAAAAAfI/O3EIwrMHV7o/s320/Belo+Center.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;The Belo Center for New Media on the UT Campus<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BtaoxtT2sy0/US14bzI9VBI/AAAAAAAAAfY/jSfRcVafNa0/s1600/2013-02-22+08.34.36.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BtaoxtT2sy0/US14bzI9VBI/AAAAAAAAAfY/jSfRcVafNa0/s320/2013-02-22+08.34.36.jpg" width="240" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Casey at the Bat Statue in the Belo Center<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fK4Hjhhc3AE/US14XsoSsII/AAAAAAAAAfQ/_rB5UE7XLo8/s1600/2013-02-22+17.52.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fK4Hjhhc3AE/US14XsoSsII/AAAAAAAAAfQ/_rB5UE7XLo8/s320/2013-02-22+17.52.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;From the Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports at Texas Memorial Stadium<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BtaoxtT2sy0/US14bzI9VBI/AAAAAAAAAfY/jSfRcVafNa0/s1600/2013-02-22+08.34.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KbJOKoAIZxI/US14jLPvCvI/AAAAAAAAAfg/f-19slfQD5A/s1600/2013-02-22+17.49.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KbJOKoAIZxI/US14jLPvCvI/AAAAAAAAAfg/f-19slfQD5A/s320/2013-02-22+17.49.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;North End Zone Entrance at Texas Memorial Stadium<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D8HjkZir2Vo/US147dlUtRI/AAAAAAAAAgA/LME_1CChtec/s1600/2013-02-22+18.19.17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D8HjkZir2Vo/US147dlUtRI/AAAAAAAAAgA/LME_1CChtec/s320/2013-02-22+18.19.17.jpg" width="320" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">The View from the 8th Floor<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_arqHSFKR6k/US14m7cH8MI/AAAAAAAAAfo/pRyna8gGWzo/s1600/2013-02-22+18.13.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_arqHSFKR6k/US14m7cH8MI/AAAAAAAAAfo/pRyna8gGWzo/s320/2013-02-22+18.13.37.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Summit Host Chris Hart Welcomes Participants<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--eztYFCo-dg/US146h3k-II/AAAAAAAAAf4/mtMEqALYIJU/s1600/2013-02-22+19.15.34.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--eztYFCo-dg/US146h3k-II/AAAAAAAAAf4/mtMEqALYIJU/s320/2013-02-22+19.15.34.jpg" width="320" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Summit Participants Await the Conference Keynote Address<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jwKleEIYPOU/US142-o7M9I/AAAAAAAAAfw/DRH9Vx4XHck/s1600/2013-02-22+19.07.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jwKleEIYPOU/US142-o7M9I/AAAAAAAAAfw/DRH9Vx4XHck/s320/2013-02-22+19.07.08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Dr. Rod Hart, Dean of the UT College of Communication, Addresses the Crowd<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-we21s6bRCbo/US15NYoxIyI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/h6UKEZ_SKxI/s1600/2013-02-22+19.16.45.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-we21s6bRCbo/US15NYoxIyI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/h6UKEZ_SKxI/s320/2013-02-22+19.16.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D8HjkZir2Vo/US147dlUtRI/AAAAAAAAAgA/LME_1CChtec/s1600/2013-02-22+18.19.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; IACS Board Chair, Dr. Karen Hartman of California State-Stanislaus, Introduces the Keynote<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R52J2D25XUM/US15LA7GqcI/AAAAAAAAAgI/fxyWg5Xr4xY/s1600/2013-02-22+19.18.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R52J2D25XUM/US15LA7GqcI/AAAAAAAAAgI/fxyWg5Xr4xY/s320/2013-02-22+19.18.50.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Dr. Bob Krizek of Saint Louis University, Provides Keynote and Celebrates the Life of Nick Trujillo<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-we21s6bRCbo/US15NYoxIyI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/h6UKEZ_SKxI/s1600/2013-02-22+19.16.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rLmkvb_E36A/US15N07hYuI/AAAAAAAAAgY/U8_jRoO1k4Y/s1600/2013-02-23+10.37.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rLmkvb_E36A/US15N07hYuI/AAAAAAAAAgY/U8_jRoO1k4Y/s320/2013-02-23+10.37.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dr. Ben Carrington of UT Lectures on the Global White Sports/Media Complex</div>Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-73629731861004276812013-02-06T11:19:00.003-05:002013-02-06T11:20:47.140-05:00Sports and Identity Conference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zqNyDXnrk58/URKB8DAeqUI/AAAAAAAAAe0/lOg4TioD78w/s1600/Sports+and+Identity+Conference.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zqNyDXnrk58/URKB8DAeqUI/AAAAAAAAAe0/lOg4TioD78w/s320/Sports+and+Identity+Conference.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />This conference, organized by Barry Brummett, the Chair of Communication Studies at the University of Texas, will take place in just a couple of weeks, February 21-23.&nbsp; <a href="http://communication.utexas.edu/events/sports-and-identity-new-agendas-communication">The full schedule is available</a> on the UT College of Communication website.&nbsp; This is part of the New Agendas series at Texas, and this year we have the good fortune of being able to pair the conference with the Summit on Communication and Sport, which takes place February 22-24, also at UT.Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-2341922163520666752013-02-04T13:41:00.002-05:002013-02-06T11:21:17.471-05:00Super Bawl<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> 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defined by their history of tough (nasty?) play on the defensive side of the ball; it’s just that I’ve grown up rooting for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Of course, it helps my cause that Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher have all managed to avoid implication in a <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/blogs/en-fuego/os-gd-ray-lewis-murder-super-bowl-20130204,0,2063729.post">Super Bowl murder mystery</a> that hangs over the <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1108943/index.htm">now-sanctified head of Ray Lewis</a>, even 13 years after it happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Suffice it to say, I didn’t find the “Saint Lewis” storyline to be a compelling reason to root for the Ravens.<br /><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">Meanwhile, despite spending a good part of my youth in northern California while the San Francisco 49ers became a 1980s dynasty, I have never cared for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This is a bit harder to explain, as I can’t recall any specific reason that turned me against the 49ers (though that beatdown they gave the Bears en route to Super Bowl XIX may have contributed).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>In any case, my dislike of the 49ers continues to this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>And, while so many in the sports media appear infatuated by their head coach, I find Jim Harbaugh to be an appropriate representation of my increasing discomfort with football.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I assure you this is not another Chicago thing, as Harbaugh’s stint as the their starting quarterback simply blends into the mix of endless mediocrity that Chicago has endured at that position.</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">Perhaps a simple image will do:</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NjDB4IBOR3M/UQ__Ug0x6tI/AAAAAAAAAek/JcExFthYIB4/s1600/Harbaugh+Holding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NjDB4IBOR3M/UQ__Ug0x6tI/AAAAAAAAAek/JcExFthYIB4/s320/Harbaugh+Holding.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">Other photos from yesterday’s Super Bowl may prove more memorable, especially those that celebrate Lewis’ triumph in his final game or, more compellingly, the partial blackout in the Superdome that suspended play for 34 minutes (<a href="http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/2013/02/superbowlblackout/">Michael Shaw has already commented on such a photo here</a>, and it’s also worth reading <a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/172627/blackout-bowl-or-most-depressing-super-bowl-column-youll-read?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=HeadlineNation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_campaign">Dave Zirin’s take in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Nation</i></a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>So why, then, this image of a furious coach pleading with the referees to throw a penalty flag?</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">For some, the championship was decided by the final offensive play run by the 49ers, a fourth-down attempt to score a touchdown, just five yards from the endzone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Never mind the questionable play-calling or execution on downs one through three (It was first-and-goal for San Francisco from the Ravens’ 8-yard line); rather, attention is now on the final pass attempt, during which <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--49ers--michael-crabtree---it-was-a-missed-call--052638123.html">it appeared wide receiver Michael Crabtree was held</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>He probably was, but that is hardly of interest to me here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Instead, I am struck by the histrionics of Harbaugh, who barked and bawled and blustered at any official he could find, pleading relentlessly for a holding call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It was not to be, but his tantrum provided <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/jim-harbaugh-just-tad-angry-no-call-end-044507979--nfl.html;_ylt=AjkMYw5_snVitU8bHeHv1.g1V.1_;_ylu=X3oDMTFydDF1M2t0BG1pdANBUlRJQ0xFIEFydGljbGUgQm9keQRwb3MDMwRzZWMDTWVkaWFBcnRpY2xlQm9keUFzc2VtYmx5;_ylg=X3oDMTJ2bDFycnNiBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDNzJjMGM1YTAtMDczMS0zZmM0LTljNjctOGMxMjYxYjQyZTAxBHBzdGNhdANob21lfGV4cGVydHMEcHQDc3RvcnlwYWdl;_ylv=3">a series of images that have been nicely cataloged by Yahoo!</a> (the photo above appears in this article, courtesy AP).</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">Harbaugh has long been described as extremely competitive and intense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The “Wow, the Harbaugh brothers are coaching against each other in the Super Bowl!” storyline that found heavy circulation in recent weeks revealed that <a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-01-26/sports/bs-sp-ravens-harbaugh-brothers-0127-20130126_1_harbaugh-brothers-john-s-ravens-jack-harbaugh">younger brother Jim’s obsession with winning isn’t at all new</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The example of older brother, John, reminds us, of course, that one needn’t be a confrontational bully to achieve success in football, much less any other walk of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Too often, however, American culture upholds this kind of hypermasculine intensity as a virtue, a sign of commitment and determination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I would submit that it’s unhealthy, a disproportionate response in both degree and kind.</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">Jim Harbaugh’s tirade only cements his image as defiant and immature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The gang over at Bad Lip Reading, for example, recently lampooned the 49ers coach by dubbing, “I want it now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I want cake now!” over footage of (once again) raging Harbaugh:</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/Zce-QT7MGSE/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zce-QT7MGSE&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zce-QT7MGSE&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">I don’t mean to make too much of the antics of an enraged coach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Yet, in the context of a Super Bowl that, for me, was <a href="http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/2013/01/the-next-bagnewssalon-unnecessary-roughness-football-as-a-reflection-of-american-culture/">already loaded with symbolism about violence and aggression</a>, Harbaugh’s screaming plea will be the enduring image of this game.</div>Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-60254300176661613092013-01-28T08:47:00.001-05:002013-01-28T08:47:30.448-05:00Unnecessary Roughness: ReduxAs noted last week, the BagNews site hosted a virtual salon yesterday about football in American culture.&nbsp; The panelists, which included four professors (including myself) and two award-winning photo-journalists, discussed a range of issues, including violence, militarism, patriotism, gender, and community.&nbsp; Everything seemed to go well and I think it was a big success.&nbsp; If you didn't have a chance to watch, no problem.&nbsp; The entire conversation is <a href="http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/2013/01/the-next-bagnewssalon-unnecessary-roughness-football-as-a-reflection-of-american-culture/">archived at BagNews</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ixYyXlNuQ4/UQaBHIh0V0I/AAAAAAAAAeU/AMtdfMMcfaE/s1600/BagNewsFootballSalon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ixYyXlNuQ4/UQaBHIh0V0I/AAAAAAAAAeU/AMtdfMMcfaE/s320/BagNewsFootballSalon.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />A big thanks to Michael Shaw and Teresa Mahoney for putting this together!Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com70tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-81386383769381659442013-01-26T20:42:00.003-05:002013-01-26T20:42:42.138-05:00Bigger Fish To Fry<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Though I gave up following college football, I can’t help but be aware of some of the latest developments in the </span><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/01/16/manti-teo-girlfriend-hoax-deadspin/1840415/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">case of the “girlfriend hoax” involving University of Notre Dame football player Manti Te’o</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I can’t help but be aware of these developments because it seems like every day, as I turn on my television to watch other sports (such as tennis and golf), I’m informed of some latest information that has come to light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Among the latest word, </span><a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8882384/dr-phil-interview-alleged-girlfriend-hoaxer"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the person behind the Te’o hoax will be appearing on Dr. Phil’s show</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet I wonder about the priorities embedded in the Te’o hoax story, especially when juxtaposed against another case involving Notre Dame – namely, </span><a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/14338753/prosecutor-eyes-notre-dame-rape-allegation"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the case of Elizabeth Seeberg</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, who committed suicide on September 10 after reporting being sexually assaulted on August 31 by a Notre Dame football player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Seeberg’s case has received scant attention, though it has been mentioned here and there, and it has even been contrasted with the Te’o hoax case in some, though a notable few, forums (perhaps most compellingly by </span><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/01/16/manti-teo-girlfriend-hoax-deadspin/1840415/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soraya Chemaly a week ago on the Huffington Post</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">).</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t want to belittle any pain that Te’o may feel or may have felt if indeed he was duped and he developed a deep connection with the woman he thought was real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>He very possibly was, </span><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/01/16/notre-dame-manti-teo-catfish-athletic-director/1840973/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick termed it</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, “catfished” and has suffered some pain for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>However, it seems like case of grossly misplaced priorities when media outlets appear to be leaving no stone unturned in investigating a story about a hoax about a made-up person and yet are quite limited in investigating a story about an actual death and real charges of rape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Perhaps folks involved in the Te’o case have been quite willing to come forward, while folks involved in the Seeberg case have not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Perhaps there are institutional pressures – the kinds of institutional barriers that Chemaly discusses – involving big-time athletics at a place such as Notre Dame that inhibit the willingness and ability to investigate the Seeberg case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Whatever the case, it points to a failure on the part of our media systems to act as the investigative bodies that they ought to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Perhaps even more troubling in that scenario, stories such as the Te’o case offer opportunities for&nbsp;those media systems to claim that they operate independently of the sporting establishment, even when they don’t operate so independently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>After all, this claim would attest, they’re not letting Notre Dame and the individuals involved in the Te'o hoax off the hook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Yet, there would seem to be a need to reexamine the hook.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Catching minnows is fine, but if you don’t get to the salmon or trout or … catfish … you’re not going to sustain anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>In this case, I’d think human rights and protection from violence warrant much more sustenance than truth about whether or not a football player was subject to a joke – albeit a cruel joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Still, with media outlets that are often as invested in the very same institutions and cultures as the sports organizations that they cover, we keep getting minnows, even if they claim to be catching catfish.</span></div>Raymond I. Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00939072978670640126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-1237810744182475742013-01-15T15:13:00.000-05:002013-01-15T15:14:45.114-05:00Unnecessary RoughnessI'm happy to share the details of what will be the next salon over at Bag News Notes, a site on visual culture edited by Michael Shaw.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mjr471C5TOE/UPW3--hiDeI/AAAAAAAAAeE/OrRiUq5NN5E/s1600/Bag+News+Salon+Flyer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mjr471C5TOE/UPW3--hiDeI/AAAAAAAAAeE/OrRiUq5NN5E/s400/Bag+News+Salon+Flyer.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />This should be an excellent discussion! &nbsp;I hope you'll join us. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/2013/01/the-next-bagnewssalon-unnecessary-roughness-football-as-a-reflection-of-american-culture/">Go to Bag News for more information</a>.Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-81610389727747935332012-12-18T00:03:00.002-05:002012-12-18T11:13:24.437-05:00The NFL and Newtown: Reflections on a Violent World<br /><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">Tragedies such as last Friday’s mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School prompt any number of collective responses, not least of which have been various ceremonies, tributes, and moments of silence in honor of those affected by the staggering loss of life. &nbsp;A Sunday vigil in Newtown, Connecticut <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/obama-newtown-vigil-speech-reactions_n_2313364.html">included an appearance by President Barack Obama</a>, who stated plainly, “These tragedies must end.”&nbsp; The night before, <i>Saturday Night Live</i> broke form and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/snl-silent-night-connecticut-shooting_n_2310590.html">opened its live broadcast with a beautiful performance</a> of “Silent Night” by the New York City Children’s Choir.&nbsp; And throughout the weekend, observers across every form of media offered words of sorrow, regret, and anger, most of them undoubtedly heartfelt.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">One of the more visible sites of memorialization occurred during the weekend’s many sporting events, especially Sunday’s slate of games in the National Football League (NFL).&nbsp; The NFL made the decision to acknowledge the tragedy prior to each game’s kickoff, while many players modified their uniforms with personalized tributes to the victims.&nbsp; A <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/sports-world-honors-connecticut-shooting-victims-slideshow/moments-silence-around-nfl-shooting-photo-185857892--nfl.html">Yahoo! photo essay invites</a> us to reflect on these moments, and I think we are wise to do so.&nbsp; Although we may all agree that reflection is important in the wake of such a horrific tragedy, we are unlikely to agree <i>on the terms</i> of that reflection.&nbsp; It seems to me that the visualization of these reflections—as demonstrated by these images—is something that raises a number of questions.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">First and foremost, there is something deeply paradoxical about a professional sports league that trades on the glorification of sanctioned violence suddenly pausing to memorialize those killed by violence that is not sanctioned.&nbsp; I am not suggesting that football is akin to murder; I am, however, suggesting that taking our cues about honoring the victims of violence from an organization that prospers because of it is unsettling at best and dangerous at worst.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.thenation.com/node/171798">Dave Zirin has captured this ambivalence</a> in his column today titled, “The NFL Responds to the Sandy Hook Massacre.&nbsp; Should We Listen?”&nbsp; As he writes:<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Should our culture, and in particular the violence of the sports we consume, shoulder some of the blame? It’s an increasingly recognized fact that our most popular sport, football, is also our most violent. Every new study reveals that on Sundays we are watching people become mentally and physically crippled for our entertainment. In addition to the violence between the lines, this is a league that drapes itself in the trappings of war, from military flyovers before games to the constant slickly produced recruitment ads for the US armed forces.</span>”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Indeed, it is this set of tensions that I find myself lingering over as the immediacy of the Sandy Hook tragedy subsides.&nbsp; This is why, of all the images in the Yahoo! photo essay, I am drawn to this one:<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/></v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_0" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Texans CT Tribute.JPG" style='width:378pt;height:254.25pt;visibility:visible; mso-wrap-style:square'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\mbutter\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg" o:title="Texans CT Tribute"/></v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBVZVp6MNjM/UM_4czYne6I/AAAAAAAAAdo/qv-GucL4GzE/s1600/Texans+CT+Tribute.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBVZVp6MNjM/UM_4czYne6I/AAAAAAAAAdo/qv-GucL4GzE/s320/Texans+CT+Tribute.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Taken during the pre-kickoff moment of silence at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, site of the Houston Texans-Indianapolis Colts game, this photo captures the prevailing emotions found in stadiums across the country during similar ceremonies.&nbsp; Let me preface my comments by clarifying that I do not doubt the sincerity of any of the individuals in this picture—I am simply not interested in performing some academic role through which I believe my voice is more enlightened and capable of grasping the true gravity of this event.&nbsp; That said, I do think there are some elements from this photograph that merit some discussion.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">First, beyond the obvious solemnity of the occasion, the most compelling feature of the image is the fan more or less in the center—the gentleman who has painted his face in the red-white-and-blue Texans’ bull logo, is wearing homemade spray-painted overalls with another Texans logo and a declaration that (I believe) reads, “Texans Freak,” and brandishes what appears to be a paper mache set of red and blue Texans horns.&nbsp; He is at once unique and totally familiar, the Texans version of the dedicated fans of teams around the league, from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raider_Nation">“Black Hole” in Oakland</a>to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawg_Pound">“Dawg Pound” in Cleveland</a>.&nbsp; Devoted fans such as these are often those who are most likely to see their own identities as intimately connected to their favored franchise.&nbsp; This is not always or necessarily bad, but it can lead to abnormal behaviors.&nbsp; Of most concern to me is that it legitimizes an “us versus them” mindset that is commonplace in sports but is also far too familiar to us in politics and international affairs.&nbsp; Here is where Zirin’s references to militarism and war are well placed.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Notice, too, that this fan is holding one corner of the American flag, which occupies the bottom right corner of the image.&nbsp; Of course it may be coincidental that this particular photograph happens to include the flag against a backdrop of fans whose team happens to have red, white, and blue for its colors.&nbsp; Nevertheless, it spotlights the distinct “Americanness” of this event, something that I think can be read at least three ways.&nbsp; The first, which is the most affirmative, is that tragedies of this scope offer a rare moment when our otherwise individualistic, stratified, and alienated population may once again, even if for a moment, unite as a community.&nbsp; It is similar to, if on a smaller scale, the national reaction to 9/11.&nbsp; I believe it is undeniably a good thing that we, as an “imagined community” (Benedict Anderson’s oft-cited definition of a “nation”), can mourn together and seek to care for one another in meaningful ways.&nbsp; I do not wish to discredit this in any way.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Yet, a second reading speaks to some deeper concerns.&nbsp; <i>Who</i>, precisely, are the “Americans” we imagine ourselves to be?&nbsp; Innocent people, including children, die in this country every day, often by the most violent and unwarranted means imaginable.&nbsp; Although the <i>scope</i> of the Sandy Hook tragedy is a major factor in our collective horror and grief, we cannot escape the role of class and race in this narrative.&nbsp; For many citizens in the United States, Newtown, Connecticut is representative of the idealized “American Dream” mythology to which so many of us subscribe.&nbsp; It is affluent, picturesque, and, until last Friday, <i>safe</i>.&nbsp; It is also very <i>white</i>.&nbsp; I cannot in this space attend to all the reasons I believe race is relevant here.&nbsp; However, I do think that violence against a socio-economic class of such privilege shatters the illusion that somehow one can attain such a standing in American life so as to be free from conflict or violence.&nbsp; More problematically, it speaks to the contradictions of our society that we so easily recognize the tragedy that has befallen this affluent enclave even as we persistently turn away from the violence that mars daily life in less idealized communities.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">This prompts a third reading, perhaps best summarized by this cartoon I have seen circulated on Facebook (I regret I don’t know the source):<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R1PFkOpxGoM/UM_4iceqgbI/AAAAAAAAAdw/2vTMS1Io90A/s1600/Innocent+Children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R1PFkOpxGoM/UM_4iceqgbI/AAAAAAAAAdw/2vTMS1Io90A/s320/Innocent+Children.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Again, this speaks to the critique made by Zirin: that we are so outraged when arbitrary violence takes the lives of our children (as we should) even as we all but ignore the means by which <i>our very own government </i>sanctions and/or administers arbitrary violence that takes the lives of other nations’ children.&nbsp; This reveals the worst consequences of “American Exceptionalism,” a mythology that allows so many of us to condone actions that would be completely unacceptable to us if only we understood they were happening.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">If you think I’ve strayed too far from the photograph, I suppose I could understand that conclusion.&nbsp; However, recall that the NFL has been so thoroughly articulated with nationalistic and militaristic imagery that it is virtually impossible to separate the two.&nbsp; I have used The Agon regularly as a platform to question the normalization of war in professional sports, especially football.&nbsp; I’ve made this case in many ways, <a href="http://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=2814">but in an adapted version of my essay</a>, “Militarism and Memorializing at the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” I write:<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i>“<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Sports leagues and media have produced an almost endless list of military-themed events and programming, including flyovers, ceremonial first-pitches and coin tosses by military personnel, songs performed by members of the Armed Forces, collaborations with military charities, games sponsored by military organizations or contractors, on-field enlistment ceremonies, and near-constant platitudes from broadcasters designed to “support the troops.” Among the more recent iterations of this is a traveling museum exhibit for the Pro Football Hall of Fame called, “Pro Football and the American Spirit.” This exhibit, housed in the Hall of Fame throughout 2008 and 2009, and currently traveling throughout the country, features multiple points of identification between the game—especially in the National Football League (</span><span style="background: white;">NFL)—and the military. As such, it shapes an audience that is positioned to view war as necessary and noble, with the mythological warrior ethos of professional football serving as rhetorical support.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">This is why the nationalistic imagery stands out for me in the photo, because I know how seamlessly it is woven into the fabric of the sport itself, especially in its most muscular, militaristic forms.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I think a final tension that is worth noting in the photo is the woman toward the right of the frame, the one wearing a Texans t-shirt with the pink ribbon and logo that represents the <a href="http://www.nfl.com/pink">NFL’s efforts to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month</a>.&nbsp; Sammi King, a cultural studies scholar and the author of <i>Pink Ribbons, Inc</i>., <a href="http://www.nfb.ca/film/pink_ribbons_inc/trailer/pink_ribbons_inc_trailer">a critical book that has since been adapted into a documentary film</a>, has critiqued the ways that organizations use “cause-related marketing” (often referred to as corporate social responsibility) as a means to promote their images even if their actual practices damage the very people they claim to be helping.&nbsp; In the case of the NFL, while it may be nice to applaud the league’s contributions to raise awareness and money toward breast cancer research, we should also question whether or not it is the right organization to speak on behalf of the needs of women.&nbsp; I encourage you to conduct a quick search on Google Images using the terms, “NFL,” “cheerleaders,” and “pink,” and see if you can escape the conclusion that the NFL wants to draw attention to breasts solely to have more opportunities for its core audience—heterosexual men—to ogle pretty women in skimpy outfits.&nbsp; In other words, the deep sexism at play cannot be masked simply through the veil of an ostensibly earnest charitable campaign.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">This contradiction is important, I believe, not only because the memory is still fresh from another recent tragedy—<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/javon-belcher-s-tragedy-is-felt-from-maine-to-kansas-city-and-beyond">Javon Belcher’s murder of his girlfriend</a>, followed by his suicide—but also because the shootings in Newtown are representative of <i>a particularly gendered phenomenon</i>.&nbsp; As <i><a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/12/17/why_is_the_shooter_always_male/">Salon.com’s<span style="font-style: normal;"> Paul Campos asks</span></a></i>, “Why is the shooter always male?”&nbsp; I urge you to read his column, as it is fair to ask why it is that men are disproportionately compelled to resolve conflicts or anxieties in catastrophically violent ways.&nbsp; Given the context for the picture taken in Houston, then, I can’t escape the tension between the “NFL Pink” campaign and the ease and delight with which the league, sports media, and fans consume the ritualized violence on the field.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Where does this all leave me?&nbsp; Frankly, I’m not sure.&nbsp; I know that I hate guns and that I love football.&nbsp; I know that I deplore the violence enacted in the name of “America” and that I am compelled to achieve my own version of the “American Dream.”&nbsp; I know that I am a heterosexual male who likes looking at pictures of pretty women and who resents the objectification that awaits my daughter as she grows older.&nbsp; I know that I, like anyone, am a walking set of contradictions and tensions.&nbsp; I have my own reflecting to do.&nbsp; My only hope is when we, as “Americans,” hear the president say that “these tragedies must end,” that we are prepared to end them.&nbsp; For, as Obama said, “Surely we can do better than this.”<o:p></o:p></div>Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-77028261958759939382012-10-19T06:52:00.001-04:002012-10-19T06:52:39.487-04:00Perspective in DetroitYesterday, <a href="http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_10_18_nyamlb_detmlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=det">the Detroit Tigers completed a four game sweep of the New York Yankees</a> to clinch the American League Championship series and move on the World Series. &nbsp;This made me giddy, both as a relatively new Tigers fan and as a long-standing Yankee, well, hater. &nbsp;After the victory, various players from Detroit were interviewed on the field to share their reactions to the win. &nbsp;This also included manager Jim Leyland, who, consistent with his persona, was pleased yet subdued.<br /><br />Most of the interview with Leyland was fairly typical, but there was a brief moment that I think is worth lingering over. &nbsp;While talking about the strong fan support the Tigers have received all season, he said (this is a paraphrase), "I'm happy for the fans who could come here, but I'm sad for those who couldn't afford to." &nbsp;Fans identify with Leyland, in part because he's from nearby Perrysburg, OH, a suburb of Toledo, but largely because he embraces a kind of working class, everyman identity. &nbsp;And I'm struck by his comment, not simply because it's a rare acknowledgement that professional sports in the early 21st century have priced out a lot of fans, but also because it is a counter to the far more typical discourse that suggests a successful sports team can help fans in Michigan in times of economic struggles.<br /><br />We've heard that story before, both <a href="http://theagon.blogspot.com/2012/04/detroit-dreaming.html">earlier this year with respect to the Tigers</a>, or last year when <a href="http://theagon.blogspot.com/2011/10/detroit-rising.html">assessing the much-improved Lions</a>, and <a href="http://theagon.blogspot.com/2009/04/material-issues.html">back in 2009 when Michigan State played in the NCAA men's Final Four in Detroit.</a>&nbsp; These stories all rely on the logic of "sports will save us." &nbsp;Leyland's comment was very brief, and does no more to revive the economy or find unemployed fans a job. &nbsp;But I thought it was meaningful for its honesty, and because it demonstrates a hint of respect for what people are experiencing rather than pretending a baseball team's championship can be a substitute for a paycheck.Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-86198338699019856082012-10-01T20:08:00.003-04:002012-10-01T20:08:50.996-04:00Militarism, Memory, and the Pro Football Hall of FameThe <a href="http://www.natcom.org/">National Communication Association</a> has a publication called <i>Communication Currents</i>, which provides short essays translated from published academic articles. &nbsp;I'm pleased that I was invited to translate <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14791420.2012.675438">my current publication</a>, "Militarism and Memorializing at the Pro Football Hall of Fame," from the journal <i>Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies</i>. &nbsp;Here's how the essay begins:<br /><br /><i>"In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the subsequent declaration of a “war on terror,” references and tributes to the military were ubiquitous in American popular culture.</i><span style="font-style: italic;">&nbsp; </span><i>Political scientist </i><a href="http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415772396/" style="font-style: italic;">James der Derian</a><i> has referred to the conflation of media, entertainment, and militarism as the “military-industrial-media-entertainment network,” or “MIME-NET.” </i><span style="font-style: italic;">&nbsp;</span><i>This phenomenon is not new, but has been amplified in recent years.</i><span style="font-style: italic;">&nbsp; </span><i>Even as the United States has ended its war in Iraq and announced plans to do the same in Afghanistan, popular culture celebrations of the military have intensified.</i><span style="font-style: italic;">&nbsp; </span><i>This has especially been the case in </i>sports<i>.</i><br /> <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Sports leagues and media have produced an almost endless list of military-themed events and programming, including flyovers, ceremonial first-pitches and coin tosses by military personnel, songs performed by members of the Armed Forces, collaborations with military charities, games sponsored by military organizations or contractors, on-field enlistment ceremonies, and near-constant platitudes from broadcasters designed to “support the troops.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Among the more recent iterations of this is a traveling museum exhibit for the Pro Football Hall of Fame called, “Pro Football and the American Spirit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This exhibit, housed in the Hall of Fame throughout 2008 and 2009, and currently traveling throughout the country, features multiple points of identification between the game—especially in the National Football League (NFL)—and the military.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>As such, it shapes an audience that is positioned to view war as necessary and noble, with the mythological warrior ethos of professional football serving as rhetorical support."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=2814">You can read the rest at <i>Communication Currents</i>.</a></span></div>Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-5957410542210828192012-09-27T14:18:00.000-04:002012-09-27T14:25:24.645-04:00Football's End of Days?<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Originally posted to <a href="http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/2012/09/football%E2%80%99s-end-of-days/">Bag News</a>:</span></i><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TiCU2Yvods8/UGSYEHxqJRI/AAAAAAAAAdE/Ts9CAu0fVNk/s1600/GB+Seattle+BN+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TiCU2Yvods8/UGSYEHxqJRI/AAAAAAAAAdE/Ts9CAu0fVNk/s320/GB+Seattle+BN+01.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;(<span class="Apple-style-span">Photo: AP/Seattle Times, John Lok)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When the National Football League (NFL) decided to lockout its officials after a summer-long contract dispute, <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000053820/article/nfl-predetermined-officials-lockout-referees-attorney-says">Commissioner Roger Goodell committed</a> to using “replacement” officials, insisting that the non-union and under-experienced officials would do “a very credible job.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>What has happened since has been nothing short of apocalyptic, at least from the point of view of American sports media.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Even those who do not follow professional football likely know by now that the <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=320924026">September 25 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Monday Night Football</i> game ended in controversy</a> after the Seattle Seahawks scored the winning touchdown on what appeared to have been a Green Bay Packers interception on the last play of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Although replays showed that defensive back M.D. Jennings clearly maintained stronger possession, receiver Golden Tate got his hands on the ball enough to convince the replacement officials that he should get credit for the catch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Or, were they convinced?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The above image wonderfully captures the confusion of the game’s final play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Tate is barely visible as he and Jennings fight for the ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The significance of the image, however, is with the officials who are making simultaneous, yet opposing, calls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The official in the foreground has his arms above his head as part of the signal to indicate a change of possession—i.e., an interception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Meanwhile, behind him the other official extends his arms upward in the instantly recognizable signal for a touchdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The next image shows the same moment from a different angle.<span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R7g48efw6uo/UGSYF_C7kSI/AAAAAAAAAdM/kGbu97-gP_w/s1600/GB+Seattle+BN+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R7g48efw6uo/UGSYF_C7kSI/AAAAAAAAAdM/kGbu97-gP_w/s1600/GB+Seattle+BN+02.jpg" /></span></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(Photo: Getty Images/Otto Greule, Jr.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The referee ultimately ruled the play a touchdown and, after a 10-minute delay and obvious chaos, the Seahawks had completed a 14-12 victory.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LngXvS0uISY/UGSYG8fCaTI/AAAAAAAAAdU/IRkGJMGiDQU/s1600/GB+Seattle+BN+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LngXvS0uISY/UGSYG8fCaTI/AAAAAAAAAdU/IRkGJMGiDQU/s320/GB+Seattle+BN+03.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(Photo: AP/Ted S. Warren)</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What transpired on the field in Seattle had been predicted by numerous observers of the NFL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>As <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.grantland.com/">Grantland</a></i> founder and writer Bill Simmons tweeted immediately after the game, “And . . . here’s the officiating apocalypse that was 3 weeks coming.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>For anyone watching ESPN’s post-game coverage, following the social media traffic as the controversy unfolded, or reading the summaries online the following morning, his word choice probably seemed apt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Simmons himself <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8407097/the-mailbag#8211referee-armageddon">had titled a September 21 column</a> with a reference to “Referee Armageddon.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Yet others appeared ready to embrace the end-of-days tone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Monday Night Football</i> analyst <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/25/replacement-referees-call-seahawks-packers-reaction_n_1911569.html">John Gruden called the referee’s decision</a> “tragic” (of course, he also called it “comical,” so perhaps the confusion was affecting him, too), <a href="http://m.nfl.com/news/0ap1000000065969/seahawks-hail-mary-vs-packers-will-live-in-infamy/">NFL.com writer Gregg Rosenthal announced</a> that the “replacement official apocalypse arrived Monday night,” and countless columns and blog post used similar terms to describe the events.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">There is perhaps no greater confirmation than the Green Bay-Seattle game that Americans’ obsession with sports, especially professional football, has taken on biblical proportions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Yet in a moment in American history when so many things might disrupt our faith—economic disparity and desperation, injustice against racial and ethnic minorities, women, and gays and lesbians, a corrosive political culture, etc.—it is the less-than-accurate resolution to a football game that provides a glimpse into our eschatological future.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/20360611/twitter-explodes-for-56k-tweetsminute-during-packers-seahawks-finale">According to Bluefin Labs</a>, the <i>Monday Night Football</i> fiasco prompted 56,263 social media comments (Facebook and Twitter) per minute.&nbsp; For the sake of contrast, Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention yielded 17,458 comments per minute, and Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention yielded 52,988.&nbsp; These numbers may not tell us whether or not Americans think football is more important than the presidential election, but they do tell us something about what Americans think is important to <i>talk about</i>.&nbsp; The end of days, indeed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-4770840830370701172012-09-26T10:18:00.001-04:002012-09-27T14:20:02.856-04:00Stars Earn Stripes (and Shame)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Originally posted to <a href="http://thevisionmachine.com/2012/09/stars-earn-stripes-and-shame/">the Vision Machine</a></i></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What does it mean to “honor” the men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Does it mean that elected officials act responsibly and only with the most accurate intelligence when making decisions to engage in war?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Does it mean providing American troops with the best equipment and technology to enable their success and safety?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Does it mean caring for veterans when they return home by providing comprehensive health care and opportunities for employment?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Although the above questions might prompt obvious answers, it is all too often the case that the material conditions of “the troops” are subordinated to the symbolic rituals of “support” that are commonplace in American culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This is especially true of popular culture, where celebrations of militarism enable the individual members of the U.S. Armed Forces to be used as props in the mediated production of empty patriotism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Even as the United States has declared the war in Iraq to be over and offered a timeline for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, Americans are consistently called upon to give thanks and praise to the military.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Nowhere is this discourse more prominent than it is in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sport</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sport has long been the stage for fanning the flames of nationalism in times of war:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>the origin of the national anthem ritual at sporting events dates back to Major League Baseball’s decision to play the “Star Spangled Banner” prior to every game in the aftermath of the United States’ entry into World War II; the now ubiquitous Air Force flyovers were legitimized at the height of the Vietnam War prior to the kickoff in Super Bowl II, played in 1968; today, an endless list of “support the troops” and “military appreciation days” are bolstered by military sponsorships, military charity tie-ins, on-field coin tosses and enlistment ceremonies conducted by military personnel, and ritualized performances of patriotic songs and flyovers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The logic of these rituals and tributes is simple: the more we celebrate “the troops” for their heroism and sacrifice, the less we question whether or not they should have been at war in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Given the spectatorial positioning of audiences for sporting events—for those watching on television as well as those who attend the games live—sport is an especially persuasive metaphor for the impassioned nationalism that too often passes for citizenship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Moreover, sport’s constitutive effects allow militaristic displays to foster in audiences powerful identifications not only with the members of the Armed Forces but also with the performative ethos of “playing war.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://rogerstahl.info/?page_id=3">Roger Stahl details this phenomenon</a> in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Militainment, Inc</i>., noting in particular that “extreme sports” (or “lifestyle sports”) have “given birth to the rhetoric of the ‘battlefield playground,’” wherein “extreme sports discourse has been put to use as an entry point through which the citizen has been invited to play soldier” (p. 54).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The thrill-seeking adventure characteristic of extreme sports certainly applies to the recent <a href="http://www.nbc.com/stars-earn-stripes/">reality-based television program, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stars Earn Stripes</i></a>, a creation of TV producers Mark Burnett (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Survivor</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Voice</i>) and Dick Wolf (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miami Vice</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Law &amp; Order</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The show pairs “celebrities”—a term stretched to its definitional limits, given the participation of people such as Eve Torres and Todd Palin—with military and law enforcement trainers who compete in “challenges” in order to win money for military-based charities.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sport provides a context for the show in various ways, including the NBC marketing blitz that promoted it in the late stages of the 2012 London Summer Olympics, as well as the participation of athletes such as Laila Ali, Eve Torres, Picabo Street, and Terry Crews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Most importantly, however, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stars Earn Stripes</i>expands the parameters of the “battlefield playground,” promising audiences an authentic taste of “real” combat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>In the words of celebrity participant Dean Cain, “We go on real missions, we receive real training, we go with real live fire.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/qF0pxwvAemQ/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qF0pxwvAemQ&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qF0pxwvAemQ&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As is obvious from this promotional video, NBC has gone to lengths to convince viewers of just how real <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stars Earn Stripes</i> is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>From the simulations of training exercises, to the inclusions of Navy Seals, Green Berets, and retired Gen. Wesley Clark as one of the hosts, to the repeated references to danger and live ammunition, the show would have its audience believe these minor celebrities were being prepared to serve in Iraq of Afghanistan themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The most troubling aspect of this production, however, and it is something that scholars have lamented at least since the Persian Gulf War—the “video game war”—of the early 1990s, is that all of the claims to reality mask the ways that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stars Earn Stripes</i> is far from real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The “challenges” are carefully staged and the participants know mostly what to expect; the ammunition may be real, but the targets are not; and, most critically, although someone might experience an injury during these exercises, they are not confronting matters of life and death.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All of this, then, means that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stars Earn Stripes</i> is little more than a glorified video game/recruitment commercial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>As the “stars” make clear in this video, this is precisely how they understand their experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Olympic skier Picabo Street, for example, enthusiastically declares, “I wanna shoot something and have it go boom!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Wrestler Eve Torres suggests the show is “kinda like a real-life action movie or video game.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>And boxer Laila Ali boasts, “I’m gonna be livin’ out, you know, a little fantasy of being, like, a warrior princess.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Thus, even as Dick Wolf claims that the show is “really a love song toward the people who keep us safe,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stars Earn Stripes</i> is actually a valorization of war as a game, something in American culture that exists to entertain and excite us, something through which we may fulfill our fantasies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It is somewhat encouraging that <i>Stars Earn Stripes</i> has been seen by many for what it is: a crass commercial grab for patriotic imagery with the conflation of sport and war serving as a backdrop.&nbsp; <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/15/entertainment/la-et-st-stars-earn-stripes-criticism-from-veterans-20120815">Veterans have expressed doubts</a> about the show’s virtues.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/417896/august-14-2012/-stars-earn-stripes--reality-series">Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert lampooned</a> it for its audacious claim to being “real.”&nbsp; And most damning, nine Nobel Peace Laureates <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/nobel-laureates-call-end-tvs-stars-earn-stripes-053216059.html?_esi=1">wrote an open letter to NBC</a> demanding that the show be canceled, noting, “Real war is down in the dirt deadly.&nbsp; People—military and civilians—die in ways that are anything but entertaining.”&nbsp; Despite these criticisms (and others), <i>Stars Earn Stripes</i> was enthusiastically supported by NBC.&nbsp; Much like other contemporary iterations of militarism, the illusion that a war-themed reality television show can “honor” and “support” the nation’s troops is persuasively buried beneath the visual landslide of American flags, muscular helicopters, and breathtaking explosions.&nbsp; Meanwhile, American military operations continue through the remnants of what was the “war on terror,” and millions of lives have been irrevocably altered or lost altogether because of the service that has been required of the U.S. Armed Forces in the past decade.&nbsp; Through the example of <i>Stars Earn Stripes</i>, rather than focus on the human costs of war and the material conditions of military personnel, the culture of militarism is reaffirmed and even extended.&nbsp; In the end, this honors none of us, but shames us all.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066423313326026280.post-877686216417601372012-08-31T23:55:00.001-04:002012-09-27T14:20:25.788-04:00Presidential Elections and America's GamesOne of the foundations of my academic work is to challenge the popular wisdom that tells us either that sports <i>do not</i> matter or <i>should not</i> matter when it comes to "important" things like politics. &nbsp;The first claim is easier to reject, as the evidence is abundant that we have assigned significance to sports that extends well beyond the games themselves. &nbsp;The second claim is trickier, but I am convinced that sports offer compelling narratives and mythologies that, indeed, can serve us well in our lives. &nbsp;Thus, I find myself drawn to the ways that sports might serve our cultural needs and, in particular, how sports provide certain forms of <i>legitimacy</i>.<br /><br />If you watched the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Thursday evening, you probably saw Mitt Romney's speech accepting his Party's nomination for president--that is, if you weren't still reeling and/or convulsing with laughter from <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/08/30/if-you-missed-the-surreal-clint-eastwood-rnc-speech-here-it-is-video/">the appearance of Clint Eastwood </a>and the real-time birth and evolution of "Invisible Obama." &nbsp;Just before 10:00 p.m. Eastern, ahead of both Eastwood and Florida Senator Marco Rubio (<a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/08/30/marco-rubio-delivers-rousing-speech-at-rnc/">whose speech was widely praised</a>), the RNC featured the now-customary candidate biographical video. &nbsp;These videos, <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/media/biofilms/dusenberry.html">revolutionized by the Ronald Reagan re-election campaign in 1984</a>, are designed to create identifications and humanize presidential candidates, something Romney very much needs to do to combat his robotic image. &nbsp;They are also designed to showcase the features that make the candidate appear presidential.<br /><br />Romney's RNC video spends quite a bit of time on the human focus by emphasizing his relationships with his wife, five sons, and his father, George. &nbsp;But the video opens by establishing Romney's presidential mettle, and it does so in the context of sports. &nbsp;The 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games are well known for two primary reasons: 1) they were <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Winter_Olympic_bid_scandal">embroiled in a bribery scandal</a> that led to the selection of Salt Lake in the first place; 2) they were the first Olympics held after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. &nbsp;The video presents an argument on behalf of Romney that largely works enthymematically--that is, it does not state all of its claims openly, instead relying on the audience's common knowledge and assumptions to fill in the argumentative gaps. &nbsp;As it unfolds, the argument is primarily this: The 2002 Winter Olympics were threatened by scandal, and someone needed to take control and fix everything. &nbsp;That someone was Mitt Romney, and his leadership in 2002 demonstrates that he has the qualities required to succeed as president. &nbsp;Watch for yourself, from :18 to 2:00.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/ruSi4K5KCq8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ruSi4K5KCq8&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ruSi4K5KCq8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br />The argument is bolstered by the testimonies of American Olympic legends <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Jansen">Dan Jansen</a> (speed skating) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Eruzione">Mike Eruzione</a> (hockey). &nbsp;Both men suggest that Romney acted as an Olympic savior, with Eruzione in particular adding that, because the Salt Lake Games were only a few months removed from 9/11, "People were afraid, people were thinking that something terrible could happen." &nbsp;At that moment, the video cuts to an image of Ground Zero from September, 2001, evoking powerful memories of what happened that day. &nbsp;What is implied here is that Romney's leadership managed not only to restore the Salt Lake Olympic Committee's integrity, but also to ward off the possibility of any additional terrorist threats during the Games. This is one hell of a leap, especially since the typical narrative about Romney's involvement emphasizes his management of a public relations and fiscal crisis.<br /><br />There is considerable slippage, then, between Romney as a financial steward of the Olympics and Romney as a protector of life. &nbsp;Because the Romney-Ryan ticket can offer next to no experience or expertise with regard to international relations or foreign policy, this conflation in the RNC video may well be an attempt to generate confidence in the candidate's diplomatic abilities. &nbsp;To this end, it recalls some very similar themes from the 2004 Republican National Convention, which featured a biographical video of President George W. Bush. &nbsp;That video included a lengthy sequence that detailed the moment during Game 3 of the 2001 World Series in Yankee Stadium, when Bush threw the ceremonial first pitch in an act largely celebrated as a courageous defense of the American Way of Life. &nbsp;In the words of the narrator, former Senator Fred Thompson:<br /><br /><i>"So George Bush took the mound. &nbsp;What he did that night--that man in the arena--he helped us come back. &nbsp;That's the story of this presidency. &nbsp;With the heart of a president, he told us, 'You keep pitching. &nbsp;No matter what, you keep pitching. &nbsp;No matter what, you go to the mound, you find the plate, and you throw. &nbsp;And you become who you are.'"</i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/jzCXcO856JU/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jzCXcO856JU&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jzCXcO856JU&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br />With these videos then, the Olympics and baseball become metaphors for leadership in the most profound of ways. &nbsp;Bush, for all his faults, was perceived as a strong leader, especially in the context of the "war on terror." &nbsp;Romney is not yet perceived this way, at least not on a national scale, and so it appears the campaign is looking to thematic linkages to Bush that will help develop Romney's presidential ethos. &nbsp;There are several problems here, however:<br /><br />1) The Romney video attempts to cultivate feelings of patriotism (coupled with a lingering sense of fear) that are grounded in memories of 9/11. &nbsp;That path was wide open for Bush in 2004; it really is not available to Romney in 2012. &nbsp;Thus, rather than helping Romney look strong in a moment of crisis--and, despite all of my criticisms of Bush, that first pitch was a stirring moment--he appears desperate to re-kindle some of the patriotism that contributed to the political context eight years ago.<br /><br />2) Bush understands sports. &nbsp;He is clearly a sports fan and he relates to other people who are sports fans. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/02/romneys-nascar-comment-rich/49185/">Romney is the guy who told an interviewer that he doesn't follow NASCAR closely</a> but has a lot of friends who are team owners. &nbsp;He isn't comfortable with the language and mythologies of sports. &nbsp;Grasping for the generic patriotism of the Olympics is one thing, but he cannot build on this foundation the way Bush could.<br /><br />3) Even as Americans take a lot of pride in moments like the 2001 World Series and 2002 Winter Olympics, there is a much more sinister side to these sporting celebrations. &nbsp;As I have detailed in various forms, sports has played an all too eager role in the promotion and production of war in the past decade. &nbsp;Meanwhile, the Olympics leave behind more than bribery scandals. &nbsp;For all the praise Romney has received for saving the Salt Lake City Games, much of it deserved, we should not ignore the costs of that salvation. &nbsp;Specifically, <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1024516/index.htm">as <i>Sports Illustrated</i> reported in December, 2001</a>, the federal government contributed $1.5 billion to the Olympic effort. &nbsp;Interestingly, for the candidate whose Party now mindlessly drones on about how "We Built It," Romney said at the time of the effort to salvage the Games, "We couldn't have done it without [the government]. &nbsp;These are America's Games."<br /><br />Indeed, they were then. &nbsp;And, as the 2012 RNC video makes clear, they are now. &nbsp;And this time, there are real winners and losers.Michael Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com4